It has been observed through time that one of the persistent factors which reduce point of sale (POS) item scanning throughput is the operator's inability to easily locate the optical code on a package when it is not immediately visible. In such cases, the operator may fumble for several seconds while turning the package through different rotations in an attempt to see the label so that it may then be oriented towards the scanning device. Scanners have been devised to minimize the need for package orientation, but have never completely eliminated the need for operators to view the labels as they attempt to scan the data. In most cases, the operator cannot see that their hand is partly covering the data, that the package may be folded or wrinkled in a way that obscures some of the data, or that the data is not being presented to the active scanning zone due to mis-location. All of these cases are reduced or eliminated if the operator receives additional visual feedback about the data location in addition to usual direct view information that the operator receives.